Nesting and stacking receptacles



Nov. 23, 1965 w. K. HARE ETAL NESTING AND STACKING RECEPTACLES Filed Aug. 4. 1964 IHIIIIIIIII Wz'ieri z i United States Patent M 3,219,196 a NESTING AND STACKING RECEPTACLES Wilbert K. Hare, Chicago, and Morris Kaufman, Morton Grove, IlL, assignors to Ekco Products Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,325 1 Claim. (Cl. 211126) This invention relates to receptacles adapted for use in handling of articles, such for example, as wrapped bread loaves, and more particularly receptacles of this character which may be stacked, one upon the other, when in use and adapted to be stored in relatively compact relation with similar receptacles when empty, and thereby utilize less space for storage of said receptacles when not in use.

In a receptacle according to this invention, handle members secured to opposite sides of the receptacle are mounted so as to have swinging movement lengthwise of said sides between an inwardly swung position within the confines of said receptacle to allow compact nesting of said receptacle in relation to a second like receptacle and an outwardly swung position to provide upright stacking supports with which a second like receptacle has downward engagement to establish a stacked relationship between said receptacles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a receptacle of the type indicated which incorporates novel features of construction and design through which the stacking supports can be retained against the accidental displacement from an upright stacking position.

A further object resides in the provision of a receptacle as indicated which also embodies a simple and rugged construction and yet provides an article which is relatively light in weight and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a receptacle showing the handle members in outwardly swung upright stacking position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end elevational view of the receptacle as shown in FIG. 1 with a fragmentary portion of a second receptacle shown in stacked relation to the receptacle therebelow.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, with a dotted line portion to indicate the downwardly swung nesting position of the handle member.

A receptacle representing an embodiment of the present invention includes a rectangular bottom frame defined by a pair of side members 18 and 11 joined in spaced parallel relation by end members 12 and 13 at substantially right angles to said side members. The area within the border of said bottom frame is occupied by a load supporting deck, as desired, such for example as braces 14 arranged in crisscross relation along lines extending diagonally of the rectangle formed by said bottom frame. A wing 15 extending upwardly from the outer edge of each of the side members 10 and 11 and a wing 16 extending upwardly from the outer edge of each end member 12 and 13 form a substantially continuous upright retaining wall about the area within said bottom frame.

A pair of handle members with which a receptacle embodying this invention is equipped are of wire rod material. Each handle member includes a horizontal stretch portion 17 and a pair of legs 18 of uniform dimension projecting in the same direction angularly from said stretch portion 17. A pivotal mounting is provided between the legs 18 of each support and the side members 10 and 11 of the bottom frame so as to enable the supports to be swung upwardly away from one another into 3,219,196 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 an erect state wherein said horizontal stretch portions 17 occupy positions in uniformly upwardly spaced relation to the bottom frame of the receptacle along lines extending in vertically aligned relation to the marginal areas of the bottom frame along said end members 12 and 13. A hinge arm 19 to which one of the legs 18 of a first handle member is joined and a second hinge arm 20 to which the other of the legs 18 of said first handle member is joined each have lower end portions 21 provided with an opening for receiving a pivot pin 22 in wings 15 of the side members 10 and 11 to define mounted pivotal connection between said first handle member and the bottom frame of the receptacle while a corresponding pivotal connection between the second handle member and the bottom frame of the receptacle is established by a first hinge arm 23 to which one of the legs 18 of said second handle member is joined and a second hinge arm 24 to which the other of the legs 18 of said second support is joined. Each leg 18 of the handle member and the hinge arm to which it is connected have overlapping engagement along the full length of the leg 18. It will also be observed that each of the hinge arms 20, 21, 23 and 24 have upper extensions thereof bent angularly to define stub arms 25 and that a portion of the horizontal stretch portion 17 of each handle member is overlappingly engaged by a stub arm 25 of each of the hinge arms associated therewith. A welded joint provided between such stub arms 25 and hinge arms 20, 21, 23 and 24 and the portions 17 and 18 of the associated handle member overlapped thereby gives added rigidity along such portions of the handle members and thus provides increased resistance to shocks encountered under normal service conditions. While the handle members are in outwardly swung position, the legs 18' thereof have outward leaning engagement with surfaces of the wing 16 opposite thereto and during such engagement of the legs 18 with said wing 16, the mass of the handle member is so distributed as to dispose a major portion thereof outwardly of a vertical plane containing the axis on which the handle member has swinging movement. Accordingly each handle member is biased by forces of gravity to resist swinging movement thereof toward the other handle member when said members are in outwardly swung position as shown in FIG. 1. By thus utilizing forces of gravity in conjunction with the walls of the receptacle to maintain said handle members in upright position, there is opportunity for eliminating separate locking devices and thereby minimizing the cost of the receptacle as well as avoiding the necessity for maintaining such separate locking devices in working order.

In utilizing such handle members as means for establishing a stacked relationship between a receptacle as described herein and a second receptacle of like constnuction, the upper receptacle has downward engagement with the upstanding handle members of the subjacent receptacle via seat areas 26 defined by marginal areas of the lower surface of the upper receptacle along its end members 12 and 13.

As shown in the drawing, said seat areas are defined by a web connecting opposite side walls 27 of a pair of inverted channel members secured to and projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end members 12 and 13 of the receptacle. When a first receptacle is in stacked relation to a second like receptacle as shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal stretch portions of the handle members on the second or lower receptacle engage the walls 27 of the channel member of the first receptacle so as to prevent shifting of either receptacle relative to the other along lines extending fore and aft of the distance between said handle members while said receptacles are in such stacked relation.

It will also be observed that each of the stub arms 25 with which the horizontal stretch portion 17 of each handle member is joined present axially facing stops 28 with which opposite endsof the walls 27 of the channel member engaging said stretch portion have abutting relation which is to prevent shifting of either receptacle relative tothe other along lines lengthwise of said stretch portions 17 of the handle members while said receptacles are in stacked relation as shown in FIG. 2.

Runners or skid members are provided by means of wire rod sections 29 welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the receptacle along lines which extend lengthwise of the side members and 11. When each of the handle members is swung downwardly toward its companion handle member, the surfaces of the hinge arms 19 and 20 which face inwardly of the area between said arms occupy planes with which said runners 29 have vertical alignment. The arms 19 and 20 are also so arranged with respect to the distance said runners 29 project downwardly from the underside of the receptacle as to allow said runners, when the arms 19 and 20 are in downwardly swung position, to fit between the hinge arms 19 and 20 of the handle members of a subjacent-like receptacle, whereby said receptacles are prevented from shifting relative to each other lengthwise of the distance between said arms. While in such nested relation the channel members projecting downwardly from the upper receptacle and wings 16 of the end members 12 and 13 of the lower receptacle are interengaged along the upper edges of said wings 16 to prevent relative shifting of the nested receptacles lengthwise of the side members 10 and 11 of said receptacles. Due to the height of the wings 16, such interengagement between the channel member of the upper receptacle with the upper edge 'of the wings 16 of the lower receptacle the weight of the receptacles of a column of nested receptacles is not borne by the handle members of the lower receptacle and thus protecting the latter from distortion which might otherwise occur under impact of such weight.

Each rod section 29 at each cornerof the bottom frame of said receptacles also includes an extension 30 which slants upwardly toward the underside of the receptacle in the direction of the area between the end members 12 and 13 to provide a gradual approach to the walls 27 of the channel member. Thus while a receptacle is undergoing movement lengthwise of its side members 10 and 11 and parallel to the corresponding side walls of an underlying receptacle and toward a position in stacked relation to said underlying receptacle, the extension 30 has downward bearing engagement with the stretch portions 17 of the outwardly swung handle members of the underlying receptacle to gradually elevate the upper receptacle into a position wherein the walls 27 of the channel member on the underside of said upper receptacle are in a position to fall into straddling engagement with the stretch portion 17 of the handle members of the lower receptacle.

While receptacles incorporating the features of this invention in accordance with the foregoing description are especially useful in handling of baked goods such as bread loaves, in connection with the truck to customer delivery of such goods, it will be readily recognized that such receptacles are also equally advantageous in connection with other material handling operations.

It will also be obvious that while the receptacle structure which has been described and illustrated herein as a desirable form of the present invention, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as set out in the ensuing claims.

What is claimed is:

A receptacle having a rectangular bottom frame defined by a pair of duplicate side members joined in spaced apart parallel relation by a pair of duplicate end members, horizontally aligned upper extremities of said receptacle along said side members being defined by a wing extending upwardly from each side member and horizontally aligned upper extremities of said receptacle along said end members being defined by a wing extending upwardly from each end member, a pair of duplicate handle members, each having a horizontal stretch portion and a pair of legs of uniform dimension joined to and projecting in the same direction angularly from said stretch portion, a pivotal connection between said legs of said handle members and said Wings extending upwardly from said side members whereby each handle member has swinging movement in a path extending lengthwise of said side members about an axis parallel to the stretch portion of said handle between an inwardly swung position within the confines of the area bordered by said wings and an outwardly swung position wherein said horizontal stretch portion of said handle members are disposed in uniformly upwardly spaced vertically aligned relation to said wings extending upwardly from said end members, said pivotal connection being defined by a first pair of hinge arms to which the legs of one of said handle members are respectively fixedly joined with each of said first pair of hinge arms in overlapping reinforcing relation to the full length of said associated leg of the handle member and a second pair of binge arms to which the legs of the other of said handle members are respectively fixedly joined with each of said second pair of hinge arms in overlapping reinforcing relation to the full length of said associated leg of the handle member, said legs of each handle member and the wing with which the stretch portion of said handle member is thus vertically aligned when in outwardly swung position having interengagement to establish said outwardly swung position of said handle member, and each handle member being biased by gravity to resist movement toward an inwardly swung position while in said outwardly swung position, and seating means on the underside of said bottom frame with which corresponding stretch portions of the handle members of a subjacent second like receptacle have engagement when said handle members of said second receptacle are in outwardly swung position to thereby establish a stacked relationship between said receptacles, each of said hinge arms having an angular extension overlapping a portion of the horizontal stretch portion of the handle associated therewith, said angular extension having a terminal face which in conjunction with corresponding terminal faces of said angular extension of said other hinge arms define stops with which said seating means have engagement to prevent relative shifting of said receptacles lengthwise of said stretch portions of said handle members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,748 5/1956 Barefoot 220-97 3,146,891 9/1960 Nawman 220-97 FOREIGN PATENTS 644,766 7/1962 Canada.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

